Thursday, May 2, 2013

exposed throats

Gordon Campbell at Werewolf has written a significant article on one of the exploiter companies who will be drilling around this country. I recommend this article, here is a snippetWerewolf

In the light of such findings, concern about Anadarko’s activities off
the New Zealand coast seems utterly reasonable. Similar concerns seem
appropriate about New Zealand’s ability to monitor Anadarko’s
operations here, and to respond adequately should a major spill occur
off our coastline. Much is being taken on trust, with crossed fingers
that it won’t happen here. And that’s before mentioning our capacity to
reliably monitor any subsequent uptake from the wells drilled, and our
ability to negotiate a fair royalties rate truly commensurate with the
value of the deposits, and the risks being undertaken. On all such
counts, there are serious grounds for objecting to Anadarko’s activities
off our coastline – and given the troubling aspects of the company’s
recent environmental record, there is no valid reason for criminalizing
those who might wish to protest its presence here.

It is interesting to note that

Barely a week before our last general election in November 2011, Prime
Minister John Key found time to divert from his busy campaign schedule
for a meeting back in Wellington – purpose unknown – with Anadarko’s then-CEO, James Hackett.

The Werewolf article shows very clearly the type of corporate animal that these exploiters are - they don't care about the people they poison, they don't care about the environment, safety or the law - they care about profits and making money. By inviting these predators into this country we are offering our throats to the worst of humanity. The question isn't if a disaster will happen it is just when it will happen and the politicians who have colluded with these corporates will be held to account where ever they are, even Key in his holiday home in Hawaii.